You may recall that in John 1:14 we saw that Jesus was “full of grace and truth.” He was the perfect balance of grace and truth. Earlier in John 2:1-11, we saw Jesus express His grace by transforming water into wine at a wedding banquet in Cana of Galilee. He replaced something old with something new. New wine replaced old water. Today we will see His truth at work replacing a dirty temple with a clean one. From this we will discover how we can experiencing Jesus’ cleansing truth in our lives. The first way is seen in 2:12-16.
“After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and
His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.” (John 2:12). Jesus spends some quiet
time at Capernaum with friends – those closest to Him. As important as time
with friends is, Jesus did not want to miss going up to Jerusalem to worship
God during the Passover. “Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and
Jesus went up to Jerusalem.” (John 2:13). The Passover was a Jewish
festival celebrating God’s deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt, when
the angel of death passed over every home where the blood of a lamb was applied
to the doorposts of the home (Exodus 12-13). It also initiated the Feast of
Unleavened Bread, so the entire celebration lasted over a week. Jews from all
over the world came to Jerusalem to meet with God and be obedient to His commands.
While Jesus
tried to make His way into the Temple, He discovered that it had become a place
of peddling instead of a place of prayer. “And He found in the temple those
who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.”
(John 2:14). This temple money system was known as Annas’ Bazaar. Annas
gave up his priesthood to run this temple money system. He placed his three
sons in the priesthood, and God killed them. Then he placed his son in-law
Caiaphas, in the priesthood so Annas could run the temple business.
Let’s say you come to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. You bring an animal to
sacrifice to the Lord, because that’s the way you worshiped God then. Your
children had cared for this animal for months and he had become a cherished pet
– though he was about to become the family’s sacrifice. You go into the temple
courtyard and there is a “booth of approval” manned by one of the
strictest of the Pharisees. Before you could offer your family’s lamb for
sacrifice it had to be approved. But this inspector finds defects in your lamb.
“Hey, we can’t accept this animal as a sacrifice – it has too many things
wrong with it. You need to go to the venders’ booth, over there. There you can
buy a lamb pre-approved for sacrifice.” Think of how your kids feel.“What about our lamb? Doesn’t God care about that? How do we get to God?”
So, you go over to the vendors’ booth and pay ten times the real value for a
pre-approved lamb. (Just like when you go to the theater and a 50-cent bag of
popcorn costs you $4.) So, you get your money out to buy one of his animals.
And he says
to you, “Wait a minute. We can’t accept that currency. You need to exchange
your coins for temple money over here at the money-changers’ table and that
will be an extra fee.” Therefore, you go up to the moneychangers’ table and
give them a silver dollar and they only give you 25 cents of temple money. Just
like if you went to a pawn shop with a $1000-dollar ring and the broker would
only offer you $100. Wanting to show your love for God you pay all these fees.
And by the end of the day, you didn’t know if you were pleasing God or just
pleasing the religious leaders. Meeting with God seemed too far beyond your
reach.
This scene is
what Jesus saw when He entered the temple. How does our Lord respond? “When
He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the
sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the
tables.” (John 2:15). This is not the soft spoken, gentle Savior that so
many of us often think Jesus was. Here we find Jesus angry and aggressive as He
drives out animals, overturns tables, and creates a scene. I mean it must have
been like being in one of those villages in Spain when they let the bulls run
loose in the streets. Cows and sheep are running loose. People are yelling and
screaming, “Help! Out of the way! The Carpenter has gone crazy!”
Whenever Jesus sees one of the merchants, He
points the finger and says. “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s
house a house of merchandise!” (John 2:16). The temple was designed by God
to be a place where people could meet with God. But it had become a place where
people were abused in the name of God! The tragic truth was this had become the
least likely place where you could meet with the Lord. Jesus must remove the
religious pretenders before He can truly minister to those who need Him.
For many
people today, this is still a reality. There are people today who long to
meet with God in a place of worship, but when they go, all too often they
discover a system that gives them more work to do to be “close” to God. The
problem with this is they never know if they are pleasing God or the religious
leaders. You say to yourself, “Something feels wrong with having to
follow all of these rules – but it is God’s House. It says so on the sign.”
And they get worn out or they leave and give up on God altogether.
Please
understand, that if you came out of a church where you had to pay and pay and
pay some more to get close to God, you have come to the right place. You have
come to a place where Jesus fights for you just like He did back then.
And He wants to heal your hurts and lighten your load. He wants to make it so
easy for you to come (just as you are) and meet with Him. Jesus does not charge
you to meet with Him. It’s free just like salvation. Jesus does not want
anything at His church to make it difficult for people to worship Him …to draw
closer to Him.
Jesus warns all of us who are spiritual leaders: Woe to you if you shut
off the kingdom of heaven from men. We need to ask ourselves are we
door-openers or door closers? Are we making it difficult for people to come
to Christ or simple? Sometimes the Lord must remove religious pretenders
before true worship can take place…before Jesus can truly minister His grace to
those in need. I truly believe when Jesus is free to minister His grace in a
church – look out! It will explode with people who need His healing touch.
So the first way to experience Jesus’ cleansing truth is to Rely On Christ To Cleanse Your Life (John 2:12-16) from sin and corruption. According to the Bible, where is the temple of God located today? The answer to this question is in 1 Corinthians 3:16. The apostle Paul is writing to Christians, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” The temple of God is no longer located in Jerusalem. It is now located in every believer in Jesus Christ. The temple is located in our bodies. In the Old Testament, God’s temple was a sacred place. It was a place where God Himself resided and where people came to worship Him. Today, God’s temple is still a sacred place where God dwells.
The
truth is all of us are like those religious leaders who were robbing the people
of their money. All of us are thieves. Now you may say, “Wait a
minute pastor. I’m not perfect, but I am no thief.” We probably all agree
that we are not perfect, but are we all thieves? Maybe we wouldn’t break into
our neighbor’s home to steal his stereo, but we rob him of his reputation when
we gossip about him. Maybe you’ve never stolen a woman’s virginity, but you rob
her future husband of the gratification that God intended only him to have when
you lust after her. You don’t have to steal money to be a thief. If
Jesus came today and looked at the temple of God in you, would He have the same
reaction as He did in Jerusalem with the corrupt merchants? Would He get angry
at what He saw or would He be pleased with what He sees in your life?
Friends, if we have pollution in God’s temple, then it’s time for us to allow
Jesus to clean it out and stop trying to hide and cover up our sins.
One
day a man purchased a white mouse to use as food for his pet snake. He dropped
the mouse into the snake’s glass cage, where the snake was sleeping in a bed of
sawdust. What did the terrified mouse do? He quickly set to work covering the
snake with sawdust chips until it was completely buried. With that, the mouse
apparently thought he had solved his problem. Listen, no matter how hard we
try to hide or deny our sins, it’s futile. Sin will eventually awake from
its sleep and shake off its cover and eat us alive.
So
how do we allow Jesus to cleanse our lives from sin and corruption? If
you are not a Christian, you must trust in Christ alone to forgive your sins.
The Bible says: “All the prophets say it is true that all who believe in
Jesus will be forgiven of their sins.” (Acts 10:43). Before we become
Christians, our lives are contaminated by sin. This sin separates us from God.
And since God is holy and perfect, He cannot dwell in our contaminated bodies
until we trust Christ to forgive us and cleanse us of all our wrongdoings. So,
the moment you put your faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, God removes the
barriers of sin and comes to live inside you forever.
If
you are already a Christian, the Bible instructs you to confess your sin
to God: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9). To confess
means to agree with God that what you did, said or thought was wrong. When you
do this, God is faithful to forgive you and cleanse you from all sin, even that
which you are not aware of.
Prayer: Lord
Jesus, as I read the Scripture this morning, I found myself sitting in judgment
over the religious leaders of Israel who had turned the temple of God into a
place of peddling instead of a place of prayer. But Your Spirit convicted me
that I am no better than those religious leaders. I also have stolen from
others, especially from You, my Lord and my God. Instead of giving You my time,
talents, and treasures, I keep them to myself, taking from You what is
rightfully Yours. I have also stolen from others with my words and my thoughts.
Like the religious leaders, I also have made it difficult for others to
approach You in worship by being less than Christlike towards them. Oh my Lord
and my God, I agree with You that I have sinned against You and others with my
thoughts, my words, and my actions. Thank You for forgiving me and cleansing me
of all my sins including those I am not aware of. Thank You for fighting for me
so I may approach You just as I am when others have made it difficult to do so
with their various regulations and rituals. Thank You for being for me and not
against me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
“This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested
His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.” John 2:11
Mary’s
initial request to replenish the wine was fulfilled (John 2:3) – not in her
timing or in her way – but the result was far more than quenching thirst or
saving the hosts from embarrassment. The result was eternal. “This
beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and
His disciples believed in Him.” (John 2:11). The Bible tells us that Jesus’ disciples put their faith in
Him because of what they saw Jesus do. We don’t know which disciples these
were, but if they had never believed in Jesus, they now had eternal life (cf. John 3:36). If they were already saved,
this miracle simply reconfirmed the conclusion the disciples had drawn from
their previous conversations with Jesus in John 1:35-51.
Two miracles
happened on that day at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. The first was the changing of water
into wine so that a celebration could continue for the rest of the week. But the
second was the changing of fallen sinners into forgiven saints so that a
celebration could continue for the rest of eternity. You tell me. Which was the
greater miracle? This first miracle of Jesus is a beautiful picture of
salvation. Let’s look at some ways this
miracle is like salvation:
a. It happened at a point in time. It
was not a process. It did not take Jesus days or weeks or years to change
the water into wine. It happened in an instant. Likewise, the moment you
believe in Jesus Christ, you become a child of God forever (John 1:12).
b. It had permanent results. The wine never turns back into water.
Likewise, when you become God’s child the moment you believe in Christ, you can
never stop being His child no matter what you do from that time forward (John 1:12;
6:35-40; 10:28-29).
c. It was a total change. Just as the transforming grace of
Christ can change water into wine, so Jesus’ grace can change sinners into
saints, “set apart” from their sin
and shame forever (Ephesians 1:1; Philippians 1:1; Hebrews 10:10, 14)). God’s
grace transforms you into a new person in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). No
longer are you defined by your sin and shame. You are defined by being in
Christ. Now when God looks at your life, He sees the perfection of His Son (2
Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 1:6). Only God could do this.
d. It benefited others. The making of water into wine not only
benefited the couple and rescued them from a legal and social disaster, but it
also benefited all the guests. Everyone enjoyed its taste. Likewise, when Jesus
Christ gives you eternal life, He starts a new work in your life. His
forgiveness enables you to forgive others. His love enables you to love
others. His self-control enables you to control your tongue and temper. His
patience allows you to be patient with others. His generosity enables you to be
generous with others. See how this can benefit not only you, but the people in
your life?
e. It was a total work of Jesus –
nothing else. Could the
servants change the water into wine? Of course not.
Only Jesus could and He did! Can we get ourselves to heaven? Never. Only
Jesus can do that when we put our trust in Him alone for His free gift of
everlasting life.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for showing me an
even greater miracle than changing water into wine.Your grace
transforms guilty sinners like me into forgiven saints. This great salvation is
not because of our deservedness, but because of Your goodness to us. And no
one, including ourselves, can undo what You have done for us and in us. Your
salvation is permanent and it is designed not only to benefit the recipient,
but also the people around him or her. Use me my Lord and my God, to spread
Your transforming grace throughout this world one person at a time. To You be
all the glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
“When the master of the feast had
tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but
the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the
bridegroom. And he said to him, ‘Every man at the beginning sets out the good
wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the
good wine until now!’ ” John 2:9-10
We have learned from Chapter 2 of John so far, that our joy
(represented by wine) can be restored when we release our problems to Jesus
(John 2:1-4) and when we respond to Jesus with total obedience (John 2:5-7). Another
way to restore our joy is to realize that Jesus cares about the little
things in our lives (John 2:8-10).
After the servants at the wedding banquet filled each stone
pot to the brim, Jesus said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the
master of the feast.” (John 2:8a). John tells us, “And they took it.”
(John 2:8b). As far as we know, Jesus had not told the servants about the
miracle that He was going to perform. To them, they were carrying a cup full of
water not wine. But when the master of ceremonies tasted what was brought to
him, he got a mouthful of wine that was better than anything he had ever tasted
before.
“When the master of the feast had
tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but
the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the
bridegroom. And he said to him, ‘Every man at the beginning sets out the good
wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the
good wine until now!’ ” (John 2:9-10). The
master of the feast observed that it is a universal custom to serve “the
good wine” first and then the “inferior” wine “when the guests
have well drunk” and their sense of
taste has become less discerning. John is not suggesting that Jesus created more
wine for drunken guests. He is simply emphasizing the supreme quality of wine
that Jesus created out of water.
Some Bible teachers have insisted that the wine Jesus
created was no more than grape juice. But the word for “wine” (oinos) here
is the word for fermented juice of the grape. Paul uses this same word when he
writes, “Do not be drunk with wine [oinos]” (Ephesians 5:18). The same
Bible that condemns drunkenness (Ephesians 5:18) and cautions against a misuse
of alcoholic beverages (Proverbs 23:29-35; I Timothy 3:3, 8) recognizes wine as
one of God’s gifts (Psalm 104:15: Ecclesiastes 9:7). God created the grape from
which the wine is made. But God is not to be blamed for peoples’ misuse of His
gifts. Each human being is responsible for their own sobriety.
The words of the master of the feast demonstrate that a
transformation miracle has taken place whereby Jesus created out of plain
water a superior wine to any previously served. We will discover in John 3
another type of transformation miracle when Jesus gives His gift of eternal
life to a sinner who believes.
When the servants obeyed Jesus, this tells us that it is
our job to fill the water pots, but it is Jesus’ job to change the water into
wine. For example, in your marriage, it is your responsibility to love and
serve your spouse, but it is Christ’s responsibility to change him or her.
Don’t try to do something that only Jesus can do. He alone can change the
personality and habits of your spouse. Trust Him to do what you cannot. It is
our responsibility to share the gospel with people, but it is Jesus’ job to transform
them. Simply share the truth with those without Christ and let the Holy Spirit
convict them of their need for Him.
A miracle happened on that day in Cana of Galilee. This
is such a beautiful picture of grace here. Initially, it appeared that
Jesus was going to refuse to replenish the wine. But as He listened to His
mother and looked into the faces of the wedding party, He reconsidered. People
are more important to Jesus than schedules. Jesus changed His plans to meet
the needs of some friends at a wedding feast. His first miracle was motivated
not by famine or terrorism, but by concern for friends who were in a bind.
Christ not only cares about the major difficulties in our
lives like death, disease, and disaster, but He also cares about the smaller
things in life like running out of wine at a wedding reception, having a
flat tire, a toothache, or even losing an ear plug when you desperately need to
sleep.
If we are to experience Jesus’ transforming grace and the
joy that results from this, we must realize that Jesus Christ cares as much
about the little things in our lives as He does about the big things.So,
go to Him with what concerns you. Make your relationship with Him your
top priority, and He will fill your hearts to overflowing with His peace and
power so that you may have a joy-filled life.
This miracle of changing water into
wine could not have happened without the request of
Mary as she admitted the problem. It couldn’t have happened without the
presence of Jesus for them to bring the problem to Him. It couldn’t have
happened without the willingness of the servants to work hard to do whatever
Jesus commanded them to do. And it couldn’t have happened without Jesus’
concern for the little things in life.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your grace transforms lives, even when it comes to the little
things in our lives that no one else thinks is important. You are a kind and
caring Lord Who not only sees the little things in our lives, but You also do something
about them. Knowing this, motivates me to come to You in prayer. My prayers
never fall on deaf ears. You hear and You answer. And my life is filled full of
joy! Thank You my Lord and my God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
“His mother said to the servants, ‘Whatever
He says to you, do it.’” John 2:5
We learned in John 2:1-3 that releasing our problems to Jesus can restore our joy. Another way to restore our joy is seen in the next few verses.
While Jesus and His disciples attended a wedding banquet in
Cana of Galilee, the unthinkable happened – the hosts ran out of wine (John 2:1-3).
To the Jews, wine symbolized joy. Running out of wine at a wedding banquet in the first century
was so serious that lawsuits could be brought against you by the offended
guests. The presence of wine stated that this was a special day and that all
the guests were special guests.
Jesus’ mother informed Christ of the problem and He let
her know that she was no
longer in control (John 2:4).
He was no longer under obligation to do what she wanted when she wanted it. He
was now obligated to fully obey His heavenly Father not His earthly mother.
Inviting
Jesus to the wedding banquet made it possible for the supply of joy to be
renewed and refreshed. But the simple fact that Jesus was there did not bring
the joy. It did not replenish the wine. To have your joy restored, you must
be willing to do whatever Jesus tells you to do.
“His mother said to the servants, ‘Whatever
He says to you, do it.’” (John 2:5). At that moment, Jesus
ceased to be a guest and became the One who was in control of the whole wedding.
And at that moment, a miracle began to
happen. It is easy for us to be willing to have Jesus as a guest in our lives,
but are we willing to turn over the controls and “do whatever Jesus tells”
us to do? Only then will we see Christ do miracles in our lives.
I greatly admire Mary because she is the mother of the
Messiah. For those of us who respect her, it is important to listen to what she
told the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”
What does
Jesus say to do to have everlasting life? He says, “whoever believes in Him
should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Have you made
this decision to believe or trust in Christ alone to give you never-ending
life? The moment you do, Christ gives you everlasting life and He comes to live
inside of you through His Holy Spirit (cf. 7:37-39) so that His joy can fill
your life to the brim!
“Now there were set there six waterpots
of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing
twenty or thirty gallons apiece.” (John 2:6). The Jews would use the water in these
stone water pots for purification. They would come to the pots and let water
run over their hands. It wasn’t a matter of sanitation but of ceremony. It did
nothing to clean them physically or to wash them spiritually. It was simply an
outward show.
An outward show, then or now, has never been able to produce joy. Simply coming to church
and going through the motions will not produce joy in your life. They will put
you in the place where you can find joy and put you around the people who will
help to enhance your joy. But if you hear God’s Word without doing His Word,
you will become even more miserable than you were to begin with. If we say the
prayers but refuse to listen to God’s Spirit as He speaks to us, then our
prayers will only produce emotional and spiritual conflict in us. If we read
the Bible with no intention of obeying it, then we will only provoke guilt
within ourselves.
“Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the
waterpots with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim.” (John 2:7). The servants heard Jesus speak, and they
responded in obedience. They began the process of filling the stone jars with
water. Each of these jars held between 20 and 30 gallons of water, and there
were six jars. That’s up to 180 gallons of water. It would have taken a lot of
time and energy to accomplish this task. Trip after trip to the well to draw
water and pour it into the jars. And we don’t know how far it was to the well.
It would have been tempting to do a half-hearted job. After all, Jesus only
said to “fill” the jars with water.
He didn’t say how far to fill them. And “fill” is a word that can be
interpreted in many ways depending on how hot it is and how late in the workday
it is. Anything over half way is full, isn’t it? That’s what potato chip
companies seem to think. But these men didn’t think so. When Jesus told them to
fill the jars, they took Jesus’ words quite literally, and they filled them all
the way “to the brim,” just shy of overflowing. This was more than
enough to meet the need that this newly married couple had encountered.
Do we want God’s joy in our lives? (Pause) To receive that joy, we might even be willing to be obedient to God – to a certain extent, right? But are we willing for our obedience to reach all the way to the brim even when the obedience that Jesus asks for doesn’t make sense to us? Or when it requires more work than we had originally intended on giving? Or when it forces us to rearrange our priorities and our schedules like these servants had to do? You see, the amount of joy that we experience is in direct proportion to the amount of obedience that we give. The greater our obedience, the greater our supply of joy will be. Jesus said, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love… These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:10-11). When Jesus tells you to do something, never do it halfway because Jesus wants to give you joy to the full.
I don’t know where the brim is for you, but I know that to get there, you must do whatever He tells you to do even when it doesn’t make sense. Even when it is inconvenient or painful. It will require hard work. It won’t be easy. You must ask yourself, “How badly do I want the joy that God has to offer?”
Prayer: Lord Jesus, please forgive me for the many times I have treated You like a guest in my life, instead of the Lord of my life. You make it clear that wholehearted obedience to You will give us joy to the full. How easy it is for me to go through the motions without giving You my heart. Lord Jesus, You do nothing halfway and nor should I. The more I know You and what You have done for me, the more I want to serve You as a way of saying “thank You,” even if it does not make sense to me. Please take all that I have, including my obedience, and use it for Your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is the first in a series of videos about the future as recorded in the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation. This video focuses on the next event on God’s Prophetic Calendar called the Rapture or sudden Removal of the Church to heaven at any moment. Please share this video with those you want to see in heaven.
The Revelation Art is used by permission of Pat Marvenko Smith, copyright 1992. To order art prints visit her “Revelation Illustrated” site, http://www.revelationillustrated.com. The 3-circle illustration is used by permission of EVANTELL. The music and movie scenes in this video are used with permission from the producers of the video entitled “The Free Gift.”
“And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said
to Him, ‘They have no wine.’” John 2:3
There is no such thing as a perfect wedding. There are
always going to be problems – some of them small and some of them large. In
John 2:1-11, Jesus and His disciples were attending “a wedding in Cana of
Galilee” where Jesus’ mother, Mary, seemed to be the wedding coordinator
(John 2:2). A big problem took place at this wedding celebration. “They ran
out of wine.” (John 2:3a).
To the Jewish people, wine symbolized joy. Running
out of wine at a wedding banquet in the first century was so serious that
lawsuits could be brought against you by the offended guests. The presence of
wine stated that this was a special day and that all the guests were special
guests.
I can imagine that the bride was getting pretty anxious
about this time! I can hear her saying to her mother, “My wedding day is not
supposed to be like this! I’m supposed to be filled with joy. But instead, I’m
worried about what everyone is going to say or do when they discover that we
have run out of wine.”
Maybe you have had similar thoughts. “My marriage is not
supposed to be the mess that it is. Parenting isn’t supposed to be filled with
so much stress. Christianity is not supposed to be like this. I’m supposed to
be overflowing with joy – or so I’ve heard – but nothing seems to be going
right. My joy is gone.”You may not know where your joy went. You
just woke up one morning, and the supply had been completely drained. Some
things have come along that you didn’t anticipate that have stolen your joy.
Maybe some people have come into your life, and by their attitudes or actions,
they have depleted your joy. Perhaps you have overbooked your schedule and lost
your joy as a result. Sometimes we can lose our joy because of sin in our
lives.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, may have been the one responsible
for coordinating this wedding feast. It would have been embarrassing for her to
admit that she had not planned on enough wine. Embarrassing or not, she was
willing to admit that there was a need. She said to Jesus, “They have no
wine” (John 2:3b). That’s what we have to do too. We have to admit that
there is a need – that we are running out of joy. It may be because of our own
choices or the choices of others, it does not matter. What matters is that we admit that
there is a problem because then we can do something about it.
That’s what Mary did. When she realized that there was a problem,
she took the problem to Jesus. She said to Him, “They have no wine.” (John
2:3b). She didn’t try to solve it in her own strength. The fact that Mary
came to Jesus indicates she believed He could resolve the problem. This tells us
that Jesus is concerned with the everyday things in life that we face. This
family may not have exhibited a lot of wisdom in how they planned for the
wedding celebration, but the wisest thing that they could have ever done was to
invite Jesus. The very presence of Jesus at this wedding opened the possibility to a miracle.
And you know something? Jesus is also here with us today. The Bible tells us that He died for our sins…was buried… and on the third day He rose from the dead (I Corinthians 15:3-6). He is alive today and His power is available to everyone who believes in Him. With Jesus’ presence in our lives, there is enough power to resolve whatever problem you may be facing and build a life that is filled with joy.
When Mary came to Jesus and communicated the problem to Him, His
response toward her may seem a little cold and harsh to us in the twenty-first
century. “Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what does your concern have to do with
Me? My hour has not yet come.’ ” (John 2:4). Literally, Jesus says, “What
to Me and to you, woman?” This may seem disrespectful to our modern
ears to address one’s mother as “woman,” but this was an acceptable term in that day (cf. John 19:26;
20:15).
There may be times when we bring our requests to God for what we
think would bring joy into our lives – but God’s response seems cold and
harsh. It seems like the windows of heaven are closed. But the response
that Jesus gave to Mary was to let her know that she was no longer in control.
He was no longer under obligation to do what she wanted when she wanted it. He
was now obligated to fully obey His heavenly Father not His earthly mother.
When it comes to asking God to do certain things in our lives, God
is under no obligation to do things our way or in our time. He commands us;
we do not command Him. God knows better than we ever could what will bring
us the most joy and when is the most beneficial time for Him to answer our
requests. God does miracles and He answers prayers, but He does it in His time
and in His way.
There is one prayer that Jesus will always answer with a “yes”
as soon as that prayer is offered up to Him. That is the prayer for
forgiveness. After King David had sinned against God, he prayed to Him, “Have mercy upon
me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly
from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my
sin.” (Psalm 51:1-2).
Notice
that David did not ask God to forgive him according to David’s goodness or righteousness,
but according to God’s “lovingkindness” and “the multitude of”
His “tender mercies.” That is called grace – receiving what we do not deserve.
As believers in Jesus, we still sin after we are saved from hell
(I John 1:8, 10), but all God asks us to do when we do sin is “confess our
sins” to Him “and He
is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.”
(I John 1:9). Confessing our
sins restores our fellowship or closeness with God after we have sinned against
Him.
If you do not
have Jesus in your life, the Bible invites you to believe or trust in Him alone
for His unlimited forgiveness of all your sins – past, present, and future. “All
the prophets say it is true that all who believe in Jesus will be forgiven of
their sins through Jesus’ name.” (Acts 10:43; cf. Colossians 2:13-14). He
will then come to live inside of you and fill you with His joy (Romans 8:11;
15:13; Galatians 2:20).
If your joy is gone, or if you have never found joy because you
are living a life that is contrary to what God says, then come to Jesus as you are. He will work the
miracle of forgiveness. He will fill you with His joy.
Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, I come to You now as a broken
cistern that is deplete of any joy. I have stubbornly insisted on living my
life my way instead of Yours. Instead of turning to You to restore my joy, I
have continued down a path that dishonors and hurts You. Most of my problems I
have brought on myself through my foolish and selfish decisions. I am deeply sorry
for all the pain I have caused to You and to those close to me. Please forgive
me my Lord and my God. Thank You for washing away my sin and restoring Your joy
in my life. I release my problems to You. I give everyone one and everything to
You, my Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
“Nathanael
said to Him, ‘How do You know me?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw
you.’” John 1:48
The next day, Jesus “found Philip” who then “found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’ ” (John 1:43-45). Nathanael is a little more skeptical than the other men who came to Jesus (cf. John 1:37-44). He does not respond in immediate faith. Nathanael said to Philip, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46a).
So what does
Philip do? Does he give up or argue? “Philip
said to him, ‘Come and see.’ ” (John 1:46b). Philip does not give up or argue with Nathanael, he does the only
thing he knows to do. He says, “Come and see” for
yourself. I don’t have all the answers, but come and meet Jesus. Then you will
see what I’m talking about.
As Nathanael
approaches, Jesus builds him up: “Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of
him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!’ ” (John 1:47).Jesus
is saying,“I know you Nathanael for who you are and you are a man of integrity.” Nathanael is surprised that Jesus
would say this, so he says to Him, “How do You know me?” (John 1:48a). Nathanael
is amazed because he has never met Jesus before and knows of no reason why
Jesus would know his character so well.
Jesus draws Nathanael
in when He says to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the
fig tree, I saw you.” (John 1:48b). Jesus saw Nathanael’s heart as well as
his presence under the tree. Perhaps Nathanael was praying or reading the Bible
under that fig tree. Jesus is saying, “Nathanael, I know who you are. I know
everything there is to know about you. I know what you think and where you go
and what you do. And I want to have a relationship with you.”
How do you
think Nathanael responds? “Nathanael answered and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, You
are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ ” (John 1:49). Nathanael
places his faith in Jesus. “Only the Son of God could know this. You must be
Him!” And to believe that Jesus is the Son of God results in eternal life. John
20:31 says, “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is
the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”
Jesus replies
to Nathanael, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you
believe? You will see greater things than these.’ And He said to him, ‘Most
assuredly, I say to you, hereafteryou shall see
heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of
Man.” (John 1:50-51). Jesus is saying,
“I am glad you believed,
but you believed because I gave you a miraculous sign. But Nathanael, you have
seen nothing yet. You are going to see greater signs than these.” Verse 51 refers to Jesus’ Second Coming
to earth as King. Jesus has already shown His supernatural knowledge, but when
He comes the second time He will show His supernatural power. When Christ comes
back as King, the Bible says, “Let all the angels of God worship Him.
And of the angels He says: ‘Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a
flame of fire.’ ” (Hebrews 1:6-7).
No matter how
skeptical a person may be about Christianity, just introduce them to Jesus and
let Him do the rest. You and I cannot change people, but we can introduce
them to the One who can. Jesus takes Simon and makes him Peter, a rock or
leader of leaders. Jesus takes the doubter and transforms him into a devoted
follower. He takes the sinner and makes him a saint. Jesus takes the drunkard
and makes him sober. Jesus takes the prostitute and makes her pure. Jesus takes
the worrier and gives him peace. He takes the spiritually blind and makes her
see. Jesus takes the dirty and makes him clean. Jesus changes lives.
God wants to
use ordinary people like you and me all around the world to introduce people to Jesus. You may
think you do not have what it takes to do that. All Jesus asks of you is to
tell people the truth about Him. He will do the rest.
If you are reading
this article and you can identify with Nathanael’s skepticism, please know that
Jesus loves you and He will meet you where you are at. He will provide
answers to your questions if you are willing to listen. He may come to you in
unexpected ways such as through a dream or a vision or even through a child. He
knows everything about you – your likes and dislikes. Your sorrows and your
joys. Your thoughts, actions, and words. He knows the hidden wounds of your
heart. He knows the dark secrets in the depths of your soul, and He still loves
you and He longs to be in a personal relationship with you.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for pursuing me when I was lost in the darkness of my own sin and shame. Thank You for providing answers to the deep questions of my soul. Lord I am very concerned about those who are like Nathanael. They are skeptical about You. They need evidence for their skeptical minds. They need answers for their hurting hearts and they need a relationship with You for their fragmented souls. As You did with me, please meet them where they are at. Reveal Yourself and Your power to them in a way that leaves no room for doubt about Your identity. Show them Lord Jesus, that You are the Son of God, the King of Israel, Who will give them everlasting life the moment they believe in You. Thank You my Lord and my God for hearing my prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
“And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, ‘You
are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas’ (which is translated, A
Stone).” John 1:42
“One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated, the Christ)” (John 1:40-41). As a result of spending part of a day with Christ (John 1:39), Andrew realizes that he must share his good news with his brother, Simon. “Andrew” means “manly” or “to be brave.” It takes courage to bring others to Christ, especially family. Can you picture Andrew? “I have to tell Peter my news right now.” What is his news? “We have found the Messiah” (John 1:41). Andrew already has eternal life because he believed Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah-God. According to I John 5:1, that is all anyone one must do to be saved: “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.”
Then what
does Andrew do? “And he brought him to
Jesus” (John 1:42a). That says it all. He simply brought his brother, Simon,
to Jesus. That is all Andrew knew to do. Just get him to Jesus. “Come and
see.” He pointed his brother to the One who could change him and satisfy
all his needs.
The more time
we spend with Jesus, the more His heart will become ours. So the closer we get
to the heart of Christ, the closer we get to the people for whom He died.
Jesus’ heart bleeds for the lost. Luke
19:10 explains: “For the Son of Man
has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” The heart of our
Lord is a seeking heart. Aren’t you thankful for that? We would still be lost
in our sins if Jesus did not seek us out.
Look at God’s
heart. First Timothy 2:3-4 say, “For
this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men
to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Is there any
human being God does not want to be saved? No. God created hell for the devil
and his angels (Matthew 25:41), not for people. God desires that all people go
to heaven and He wants to use you and me to introduce people to the Savior who
can get them there. He may use you at work, school, the market place or He may
use you in your backyard talking across the fence with your neighbor. The key
is to open your heart to Him, so He can use you.
Those who live close to Christ capture His heart for the lost. For example, during my
engagement to Pat before our wedding years ago, I had no difficulty introducing
her to my family, friends, and co-workers. Why? Because I had a personal
relationship with her and I was thrilled to be with her! And I wanted others to
meet her because she was so awesome! How much more should this be true of our
relationship with Jesus Christ? The church needs some Andrews who will be
committed to bringing others to Jesus. We need older and younger Andrews.
Being an Andrew does not involve fancy evangelism methods and memorizing lots of Scripture so you never make a mistake. Being an Andrew means getting them to Jesus. “Come and see.” Allow Jesus to make the transformation. You just be faithful to bring them to Jesus. We cannot change people, but Jesus can. We cannot make unfaithful spouses quit cheating, but Jesus can. We cannot make alcoholics quit drinking, but Jesus can. We cannot make drug addicts quit using, but Jesus can. We cannot make worriers stop worrying, but Jesus can. We cannot make abusive parents quit violating their children, but Jesus can. Our job is to get them to Jesus. Come and See! Don’t tell them to clean up their lives. Just ask them to come as they are and see Jesus for who He really is. Then Christ will do the rest. Invite them to church online or to video chat so they can hear the clear and simple gospel.
In bringing
his brother to meet Jesus, no man did the church a greater service than
Andrew! “Now when Jesus looked at
him, He said, ‘You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas’
(which is translated, A Stone)” (John 1:42b). And indeed, Jesus takes one
look at Simon and sees more than a rugged fisherman. He identifies him as “Cephas,”
which means “a rock or stone.” “You are now Simon, but you will become
Peter.” Jesus saw beyond the impulsive, head-strong, unreliable fisherman.
He saw a solid rock. Jesus saw him for what he would become by His grace (even
when it takes a while). Eventually God would use Peter to lead three thousand
people to Christ through the preaching of one sermon on the day of Pentecost
(cf. Acts 2:47).
Jesus sees the potential in each of us. You may think God cannot use you
because of your background or weaknesses. Look to Christ to do through you what
you could never do on your own!
Prayer: Lord Jesus it is impossible to spend time with You without being changed.
Thank You for sharing Your heart for the lost with me. Please give me the courage
to share Your gospel message with everyone who will listen. It is so freeing to
know that my responsibility is to introduce people to You, Lord Jesus. It is
Your job to change them. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
The Bible clearly tells us that every human being is comprised of three parts: spirit, soul, and body. The apostle Paul is writing to Christians, and he says, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Thessalonians 5:23). The spirit and soul are the immaterial or invisible part of human beings and the body, of course, is the physical part of us. God wants to “sanctify” or transform our spirit, soul, and body into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18). But this transformation starts with our “spirit,” not our soul or body. Our spirit is the inner most part of us.
THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN SPIRIT AND SOUL
The Bible makes a distinction between the spirit and soul. “For
the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than
any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit…”
(Hebrew 4:12). What is the difference between our spirit and soul? Our
spirit is the inner most part of our being. This is why the spirit is mentioned
first in I Thessalonians 5:23. Our spirit connects with God Who is Spirit (John
4:23-24; cf. Romans 1:9; I Corinthians 6:17, 20; 14:14-15; Galatians 6:18;
Ephesians 4:23; 2 Timothy 4:22; Philemon 1:25). God, who is Spirit, transforms
our spirit. Our spirit is what animates our physical body. “For as the body
without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:26).
When our spirit leaves our physical body, our body dies (cf. Matthew 27:50;
Luke 23:45; John 19:30; Acts 7:59-60). Our soul also departs from our body at
death (cf. Genesis 35:18; I Kings 17:21-22).
According to I Thessalonians 5:23, our spirit
has been implanted in our soul, and our soul has been implanted
in our physical body. The Greek word for “soul” in the New
Testament is psychḗ which is where we get our English words “psyche”
or “psychology.” It has to do with a person’s distinct identity or life.
The soul is actually one’s self. Your soul is conscious of self. As God’s
Spirit communicates with our spirit, our spirit then communicates
what God’s Spirit said to our soul or self. Then our soul
communicates this to our body. Then our body communicates this to
our environment and the people who are aound us.
WHERE DO OUR SPIRIT AND SOUL GO AFTER DEATH?
When physical death occurs, the spirit and soul are separated
from the physical body. According to the Old Testament the spirit of
believers returns to the Lord at death. “Then the dust will return to the
earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes
12:7). The physical body is buried in the ground (“the dust will
return to the earth”), but the spirit of the believer “returns to God
who gave it.” When Rachel died, the Bible says, “And so it was, as her
soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name Ben-Oni” (Genesis
35:18). Based on other verses in the Bible, the departing of Rachel’s soul
implies her soul (and spirit) departed to go be with the Lord in Abraham’s
bosom or Paradise (Luke 16:22; 23:43).
Just before Jesus died on the cross, He cried out with a loud
voice, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Then “He
breathed His last’ (Luke 23:46). John writes, “bowing His head, He gave
up His spirit” (John 19:30). Jesus’ spirit went to His Father in heaven when
He died, and so does a believer’s spirit after the death and resurrection of
Jesus Christ. For example, while he was being stoned in Acts 7, Stephen prayed,
“ ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’Then he knelt down
and cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not charge them with this sin.’
And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Now Saul was consenting to his
death.” (Acts 7:59-8:1). It is clear that when Stephen died, he
understood that his spirit would go to be with the Lord.
When the Bible says Stephen “fell asleep” (Acts 7:60), it is referring to Stephen’s “death” (Acts 8:1). The words “asleep” or “sleep” are common metaphors for death of the physical body in distinction from the spirit or soul (Acts 7:60; cf. John 11:11-13; I Thess. 4:14-16). John 11:11-13 makes this very clear. Jesus tells His disciples, “ ‘Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.’ Then His disciples said, ‘Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.’ However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.” John 11:11-13. Death is not a state of unconsciousness as some teach. A dead body appears to look like a person who is sleeping.
Similarly, in I Thessalonians 4:13-17, the apostle Paul
writes about the sudden removal of the church from the earth called the Rapture
which could take place at any moment. “13 But I do not want you
to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you
sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus
died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and
remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are
asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a
shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the
dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air.” (I Thessalonians 4:13-17). When Paul speaks of “those who have
fallen asleep” he is referring to Christians who have died. Their physical
bodies are asleep in the grave (cf. John 11:11-14), but their spirit and soul
have gone to be with the Lord Jesus in heaven (2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians
1:21-24; Revelation 6:9; 20:4; cf. Matthew 27:50; Luke 23:46; John 19:30).
This is why Paul writes, “6 So we are always
confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the
Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are
confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be
present with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:6-8. Paul refers to death as his
spirit and soul being “absent from the body” and “present with the
Lord” in heaven (5:8). There is no intermediate existence. We are either “at
home in the body” (5:6) or “present with the Lord” (5:8). There is
no mention of some other kind of existence in between being at home in the body
or present with the Lord.
In Philippians 1:21-24, Paul writes, “21
For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I live
on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I
cannot tell. 23 For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a
desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. 24
Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.” For Paul,
death “is gain” because he (his spirit/soul) will “depart and be with
Christ, which is far better” than living “on in the flesh.” Where is
Christ right now? He is in heaven at the right hand of God the Father (Acts
5:31; 7:55-56; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrew 1:3, 13; 8:1;
10:12; 12:2; I Peter 3:22).
We also see that the souls of believers also go to heaven. “When
He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been
slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.” Revelation
6:9. When Jesus opened the fifth seal judgment, the apostle John says he
saw under the altar in heaven the “souls” of believers who were martyred
during the Tribulation on earth.
At the beginning of the Millennium, the thousand year reign
of Christ on earth, the apostle John writes, “And I saw thrones, and they
sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those
who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who
had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on
their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a
thousand years.” Revelation 20:4. The “souls” of martyred believers
from the Tribulation are seen reigning with Christ during His Millennial
Kingdom on earth.
A DETAILED ACCOUNT OF WHAT HAPPENS AFTER DEATH IN LUKE
16:19-31
We are going to look at a factual account that Jesus shared
in Luke 16:19-31 to discover more details about what happens when we die.
Some people believe this is a parable – (a made up story to illustrate
spiritual truth) because they do not like what it teaches about the afterlife. But
here are some compelling reasons why Luke 16:19-31 is not a parable:
1. It would be the only parable in the Bible that describes
certain things that are outside of the realm of human experience. All the other
parables talk about things that we are familiar with such as birds, seed,
fields, pearls, wheat, barns, leaven, fish, etc. (see Matthew 13, etc.). This
passage is different because it talks about what happens to two men after
death, and this is a realm where none of us have had any personal experience. A
parable is an earthly story with a heavenly or spiritual significance, but Luke
16 transcends the realm of the earthly.
2. It would be the only parable in the Bible that uses a
proper name (“Lazarus”).
3. It would be the only parable in the Bible that makes
mention repeatedly of an historical person – “Abraham.” Moreover, this
historical person actually carries on a dialogue with the rich man! Indeed,
mention is also made in this parable of “Moses,” another historical
character. What other parable speaks of
real, historical persons?
4. It would be the only parable in the Bible that describes
the places where the dead go (“Torments in Hades,” and “Abraham’s bosom”).
5. It would be the only parable in the Bible that makes
mention of angels. Compare Matthew 13 verses 24-30, 36-43, 47-49 where angels
are mentioned in the explanation of the parable but not in the parable itself.
6. If Hades is not really a place of torment then this would
be the only parable in the Bible where the Lord Jesus taught error instead of
truth. This is not possible because Jesus is “the truth”
(John 14:6). This passage is factual, not fictional.
Before we go any further, I want to clarify one more thing.
This passage is not talking about the final destination of people. The place of
unbelievers we will consider in Luke 16 is not the Lake of Fire (Revelation 14:10;
20:10-15) or the everlasting fire of Hell (Matthew 10:28; 23:33; 25:41, 46b; Mark
9:42-48; Luke 12:5; Revelation 14:10; 20:10, 15). The Lake of Fire or
Hell is where people who don’t believe in Jesus will go for eternity after the
Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:10-15). The place in
Luke 16:22b-26 is “Torments in Hades” where lost people go when they
die. It is a temporary holding area of torment and suffering for the Old and
New Testament unbeliever. But it is not purgatory.
Before Jesus died on the cross, believers in Jesus went to a place called “Paradise” or “Abraham’s bosom”(Luke 16:22; 23:43) and unbelievers went to a place called “Torments” in Hades (Luke 16:23). When Jesus died on the cross, He released the souls and spirits of believers in Abraham’s bosom (Ephesians 4:8-10) to go to God’s home in the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2-4; cf. John 14:2).
Prior to Jesus’ death on the cross, Old Testament believers could not go to the third heaven because Jesus’ blood had not removed all their sins yet. The Old Testament sacrifices had only covered their sins, not removed their sins (cf. Hebrews 9:9-10; 10:1-4, 11). Only the blood of the Lamb of God could take away their sins forever (John 1:29; Ephesians 1:7; 2:13-18; Hebrews 9:11-15; 10:10-22). After Christ’s death and resurrection, when a believer in Jesus dies, his spirit and soul go to the third heaven to be with Jesus while his physical body sleeps in the grave (cf. John 11:11-13; I Thessalonians 4:14, 16).
But when an unbeliever dies, his or her spirit and
soul go straight to Torments in Hades where they stay until they are called out
to face God at the Great White Throne Judgment where they are judged
according to their works to determine their degree of punishment in the Lake of
Fire (Revelation 20:11-14). Then they will be confined to the Lake of Fire or
Hell forever with Satan and his fallen angels (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10,
15)!
Back to Luke 16. There are two main characters in Jesus’
factual account. The “rich man” (Luke 16:19) who represents unbelievers and
a poor man named “Lazarus” (Luke 16:20) who represents believers. Let’s
look at what happened to them when they died.
How was Lazarus greeted at death? Even though Lazarus had
been alone much of his life, he “was carried by the angels to Abraham’s
bosom” or “Paradise” (Luke 16:22a; cf. Luke 23:43) where he would
enjoy fellowship with Old Testament believers such as “Abraham” who were
there. So God’s angels received Lazarus and took him to dwell in Paradise with
the Lord. Lazarus did not die alone. He died in the presence of God. Lazarus’
spirit and soul did not linger on earth for a period of days or weeks. His
spirit and soul were taken immediately to Paradise to be with the Lord. There
was no unconscious sleep as some religious groups teach.
Lazarus’ experience after death was the opposite of his
experience on earth. In Abraham’s bosom or Paradise, Lazarus experienced
intimate fellowship with Abraham – “Lazarus” was “in his bosom”
or close to him (Luke 16:23). But on earth Lazarus was all alone (Luke
16:20-21). On earth he received “evil things,” but in Paradise he was “comforted”
(Luke 16:25b).
How was the rich man greeted at death? “The rich man also
died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and
saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom” (Luke 16:22b-23). The rich
man was alone at death – no family or friends. When he died, his spirit and
soul went immediately to “torments in Hades.” Let’s look at his
experiences there after death.
1. He experiences sensation. “And being in torments in Hades,
he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom” (Luke 16:23). The
rich man is not unconscious. He can see
(“he lifted up his eyes and saw…”), he can hear as shown in his
conversation with Abraham, he can speak (“he cried and said…” – Luke
16:24a), he can feel (“I am tormented in this flame” – Luke 16:24b). The
rich man still has desires, he still has needs, and he still has the ability to
think and express himself. He was able to see into Paradise and realize what he
was missing out on. Did he feel pain? “Then he cried and said, ‘Father
Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his
finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame’” (Luke
16:24). Yes, he begged for relief from the torment of the flames. People
will not party in torments, they will cry out for relief from their pain. Even
though his body is in the grave in which it was buried, this man has some sort
of a spiritual form that allows him to continue to live in this place called torments
in Hades.
2. He experiences separation. We also notice
that the rich man found himself separated from Lazarus and Abraham by a great
gulf. Abraham said to the rich man, “between us and you there is a great
gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can
those from there pass to us” (Luke 16:26). The Bible says that this gulf is
“fixed.” That is, it will never be taken away. This separation
from God and unbelievers is eternal! The rich man found himself separated from
everything that Lazarus enjoyed. Could he cross over this gulf or could anyone
come visit him? No. Once you go to torments, no one can get you out. There is
no second chance after death. The Bible makes this clear. “Everyone must die
once, and after that be judged by God.” Hebrews 9:27 [GNT]. So there is no
halfway house between heaven and torments. There is no intermediate state.
There is no limbo. There is no purgatory. Purgatory is a theory that was
created during the Middle Ages. It is not found in the Bible.
In torments you will be all alone without family, friends, and
worst of all – you will be without God. Torments
or Hell is total separation from God. If you go through all of life saying, “I
don’t want God in my life” He will give you that wish forever in torments
and the Lake of Fire. Second Thessalonians 1:9 says, “These shall be
punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from
the glory of His power.” Torments and the Lake of Fire are the exact
opposite of everything God is.
Since “God is love” (I John 4:8b), without God, Hell
is a terrifying and lonely place. You are all alone! So there’s no love there. The Bible says, “There is
no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves
torment” (I John 4:18). The opposite of love is fear. You know what it
means to live without love in your life? It means you are scared to death all
the time. That is hell. It means you are lonely all the time. That is hell. One
of the big myths about hell is that in hell it is just going to be a big party
for all the people who like to party. Friends, no one will see anybody else in
hell. It is total separation from God and everybody else. There are no
relationships in hell. There are no friends in hell. It is total aloneness.
Since God is light (I John 1:5), hell is complete darkness (2 Peter
2:17; Jude 1:13). Since God is good (Psalm 34:8), there will be absolutely
nothing good in hell. Since God is eternal life (John 1:1, 4, 14; 14:6; I John
5:20), that means hell will be eternal death. Since God is gracious
(Psalm 145:8), that means there is no place for grace in Hell.
3. He experiencesintensesuffering. The noun “torments“
(basanos) means to be tested or examined by means of torture (Luke 16:23). The rich
man is in a place of extreme pain and torture. The verb “tormented”
(odynáō)is in the
present tense (Luke 16:24) and means to cause intense pain. This teaches us
that the intense pain and suffering in this dreadful place do not cease. People
do not simply burn up and no longer exist as some false religions teach, but
they endure this intense pain and torture forever. The rich man wants to die or
at least lose consciousness, but he cannot.
Of all the agonies of torments, perhaps the worst one of all is described
in verse 25. “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in
your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things;
but now he is comforted and you are tormented’ ” (Luke 16:25). The word “remember” tells us that people
in torments have the capacity to remember the events of this life and that they
are forced to deal with those memories eternally. They will remember every
gospel message they heard and rejected. They will remember how God manifested
Himself in thousands of ways to draw them to Himself. They will remember and
they will know that they have no one to blame for their situation but
themselves!
If you have never trusted in Jesus as your Savior to give you
everlasting life, I wonder what you will remember when you arrive
in torments? Will you remember this message? Will you remember all the
Christians who witnessed to you and prayed for you? Will you remember how you
wasted your life on temporary things and condemned your own spirit and soul to
the torment and torture of hell forever? Will you remember how good and
gracious God was to you and how you rejected His great love for you?
The rich man said to Abraham, “I beg you
therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify
to them, lest they also come to this place of torment (Luke 16:27-28). The rich man wanted
Lazarus to be sent back to his family to warn them of the terrible suffering of
torments. Nobody in torments wants their family and friends to join them there
because the suffering and pain is so great. In fact, those in torments want to
do all they can to warn those they care about not to join them there. Yet there
is nothing they can do about it! This, too, is a form of suffering in torments.
4. He experiences stubbornness. Amazingly torments is filled with
stubborn people. Abraham said to the rich man regarding his family, “29
They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And
he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will
repent.’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the
prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”
(Luke 16:29-31). Jesus us is
teaching us that people have all the truth they need in the Bible (“Moses
and the prophets”) to avoid going to hell, so sending someone back from the
dead would be useless. Even in torments, the rich man still hasn’t figured out
what it takes to keep a man from that awful place. He stubbornly begs for the
salvation of his family, and won’t hear the truth that they must hear God’s
word and “repent” which means to change their mind about whatever is
keeping them from trusting in Christ, and then trust in Him to take them to
heaven. Even in torments, the rich man is totally unchanged. There is still no
willingness to do things necessary to leave – the rich man does not even ask to
get out. These verses tell us that even when people find themselves in the pain
and suffering of hell, they are still lost and they still have no room for God
in their lives.
SPIRIT AND SOUL REUNITED WITH THE BODY AT THE RESURRECTION
Old and New Testament unbelievers’ souls and spirits will re-enter
their resurrected bodies at the end of the thousand years reign of Christ on
earth to stand before the Great White Throne Judgment. “11 Then I saw a
great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the
heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And
I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books
were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of
Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things
which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the
dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in
them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death
and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And
anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of
fire.” Revelation 20:11-15.
The apostle John “saw the [unbelieving] dead [of all
ages], small and great, standing before God [in their resurrection
bodies which are eternal], and the books [containing all their works] were
opened” so they could be “judged according to their works” to
determined their degree of punishment in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:12;
cf. Matt. 11:20-24; 23:14; Mark 12:40; Luke 20:47). Those like the Devil, the
Beast of Revelation, the False Prophet, and other false teachers will no doubt
experience greater punishment for misleading people away from God (Revelation
20:10; cf. Matthew 11:20-24; 23:14; Mark 12:40; Luke 20:47; 2 Peter 2:1-17;
Jude 1:2-13).
“The sea … Death and Hades [temporary holding place of the spirits and souls of dead unbelievers until the great white throne judgment] delivered up [resurrected] fromthe dead [unbelievers] who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works” before the great white throne (20:13). Notice that whether their bodies are decomposed in the sea or in the ground or cremated or vaporized, God will raise up their bodies to stand before His Great White Throne.
As a result of this Great White Throne judgment, all the unsaved dead [“Death”] and “Hades” will be “cast into the lake of fire” which “is the second death” (20:14). Everyone who dies without believing in Christ alone for everlasting life is “not found written in the Book of Life” and will “be cast into the lake of fire” where they will be tormented forever along with Satan and all his fallen angels (Revelation 20:15; cf. 20:10; Matthew 25:41).
The resurrection of Old and New Testament believers in Jesus Christ
will take place at different times. The first time, will be at the Rapture or
sudden removal of the church at any moment when the spirits and souls of
Christians who have died will return with Jesus from heaven in the air to
re-enter their resurrected bodies permanently. The apostle Paul writes, “14
For if we believe that
Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those
who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the
Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the
Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the
Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an
archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will
rise first.” I Thessalonians 4:14-16.
Christians who are alive at the
time of the Rapture will receive their glorified bodies as the are reunited in
the air with Jesus. “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall
always be with the Lord.” I Thessalonians 4:17. Paul alludes to this in I
Corinthians 15. “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the
last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed.For this corruptible
must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on
immortality.” I Corinthians 15:52-53. The phrase “we will be changed” refers to
living Christians at the time of the Rapture who will receive their glorified
bodies.
The next time
when believers’ spirits and souls are reunited with their resurrection bodies
will be at the beginning of the Millennium, the thousand year reign of
Christ on the earth after the Tribulation period (Revelation 20:4-6). At
the beginning of Christ’s Millennial Kingdom, all who
possess eternal life through faith in Christ are all resurrected by this time including
Old Testament believers (Daniel 11:45-12:2)
and Tribulation believers who died (Revelation 20:4). In Matthew
25:31-46 we are told that when Christ returns to earth at the end of the
Tribulation period, He will judge the Gentile nations. In this judgment, those believers who survived the Tribulation,
will enter the Christ’s Millennial Kingdom in their mortal bodies (Matthew
25:34-40, 46b).
Conclusion:
Where will you live after you die? The Bible
tells us that all people will live forever after death in one of two places: either in Heaven with Jesus Christ (John
14:2-3) or in the Lake of Fire (Hell) separated from Jesus forever (Matthew
25:41; Revelation 20:15). Do you want to live forever in Heaven with Jesus?
If so, you need to realize the Bible says you have a problem called sin (Romans
3:23). The penalty for sin is death or separation from God forever in a
terrible place of agonizing suffering called the Lake of Fire or Hell (Matthew 10:28;
23:33; 25:41, 46b; Mark 9:42-48; Luke 12:5; Revelation 14:10; 20:10, 15).
Please understand that God loves you and He does not want you
to suffer forever in Hell (John 3:16; I Timothy 2:3-4; 2 Peter 3:9). This
is why He sent His only perfect Son, Jesus Christ, to die in your place on a
cross and rise from the dead, proving that He is God (Romans 1:3-4; I
Corinthians 15:3-8). Jesus is alive today and He offers you everlasting life as
a free gift (Romans 6:23b). Christ invites you to “believe in Him” to “have
everlasting life” both now and forever (John 3:16; 6:40, 47; 11:25-26).
Jesus promises that the moment you “hear” and “believe”
His promise of everlasting life, you now have “everlasting life” and “shall
not come into judgement” for your sins because you have “passed from
death into life” (John 5:24). Christ also guarantees that when you die, your
soul and spirit will go immediately to heaven to live with Him forever (John 14:2-3;
2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:21, 23) and eventually be reunited with your
resurrection body when Jesus returns for His Church (I Corinthians 15:35-57; I
Thessalonians 4:14-17).
The person who never believes in Jesus “is condemned already,
because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John
3:18). God’s wrath abides on him now and forever. “He who does not
believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John
3:36). When the unbeliever dies, his soul and spirit go to torments in
Hades (Luke 16:23) until he is resurrected to stand before the Great White
Throne Judgment where he will be judged according to his works to determine the
degree of his punishment in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:11-15). And then he
(spirit, soul, and body) will be confined to the Lake of Fire where he will be
tormented forever (Matthew 10:28; 23:33; 25:41, 46b; Mark 9:42-48; Luke 12:5; Revelation
14:10; 20:10, 15).
Some people believe that a Christian who rejects Christ’s sacrifice or falls away from the Lord, loses his salvation or was never saved in the first place. Is this true? A common Bible passage they refer to is in Hebrews 10:26-31. Let’s take a look at this.
The author of the book of Hebrews is writing to Christians
who are being pressured to return to Judaism and give up on their Christian
faith. These Christians were in danger of returning to animal sacrifices for
the forgiveness of their sins instead of holding fast to the all sufficient
sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Heb. 2:1-18; 3:12; 7:11-28; 10:1-18).
After focusing on the sufficient sacrifice of Jesus on
the Cross to perfect them and give them total acceptance before God (10:1-18),
the writer of Hebrews admonishes his readers to boldly “draw near” to
God in a “new and living way” without unbelief or consciousness of sin
or guilt (10:19-22). They are to persevere in the faith (10:23) and Christian
fellowship till Christ’s return (10:24-25), when the promise of the eternal
inheritance will be awarded to those who persevere (cf. Heb. 9:15; 10:35-37).
The warning in Hebrews 10:26-31 applies to genuine
Christians as do all the other warnings in the book of Hebrews. If one honestly
looks at all the times “we” is used in this book (2:1, 3; 3:6; 4:3, 13;
7:26; 10:10, 19, 39; 12:1, 25; 13:6; et al), he would conclude that the author
of Hebrews is including himself and is therefore addressing Christians. Let’s
look at verse 26: “For if we sin willfully after we have received the
knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins. ” The
author’s use of “we” (hēmōn) in verse 26, also means he does not
exclude himself from potential apostasy. The word “For” (gar) connects
this section with the previous one (10:19-25) which is explicitly addressed to
Christians. They are to hold fast to their Christian confession and not forsake
assembling together (10:24-25). So this connective gar introduces the danger
of “willfully” (10:26) not holding fast to their Christian confession
and forsaking their assembling together. This danger in Hebrews 10:26-31 is the
reason why they should not apostatize i.e. reject Christ’s sacrifice (10:1-18)
and forsake assembling together (10:24-25).
Nothing in the transition from the encouragement section
(10:19-25) to the warning section (10:26-31) suggests a change in audience.
Both sections are to genuine Christians. Notice the phrase “the
knowledge of the truth” (tēn epignōsin tēn alētheias) in verse 26 does
not mean mere information here in light of the context, but a genuine and
personal knowledge which only a believer in Jesus can possess. The only other
usages of this phrase in the New Testament refer to believers (cf. I Tim. 2:4;
2 Tim. 2:25; 3:7; Titus 1:1). Also, the phrase in Hebrews 10:30, “His people”
(ton laon autou) alludes to the fact that those who are to be judged are
God’s people. They have been redeemed by Him.
To substantiate the genuineness of their Christian faith further, the author of Hebrews has already described his readers as having been “enlightened” by the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 6:4a; cf. 10:32), which leads to “tasting” or receiving the gift of eternal life (Hebrews 6:4b; cf. John 4:10; Rom. 6:23; cf. Heb. 2:9), which makes possible partnership (Hebrews 6:4c; cf. 1:9; 3:1, 14) with the Holy Spirit, under Whom they feed on the Word and taste God’s power (Hebrews 6:5). Only a believer can “fall away” from the Lord. One cannot fall away from the Lord unless he HAS the Lord. These Christians were in danger of returning to animal sacrifices for the forgiveness of their sins instead of holding fast to the all sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Heb. 2:1-18; 3:12; 7:11-28; 10:1-18).
Since these are genuine Christians, we know that they have everlasting life which can never be lost (John 10:28-29). Jesus promises that those who hear and believe His promise of everlasting life “shall not come into judgment” for their sins (John 5:24), including the sin of apostasy or turning away from Christ’s sacrifice. Christ guarantees that those who believe in Him will “never be cast out” of God’s family (John 6:37) nor will they ever die spiritually (John 11:25-26). No one and nothing can separate them from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39). Believers in Jesus are sealed by the Holy Spirit after hearing and believing the gospel, so that they will be safely and securely delivered to heaven in the future (Ephesians 1:13-14). God’s Word does not contradict itself. So it is important to interpret Hebrews 10:26-31 in a way that harmonizes with the clear teaching of salvation by grace through faith alone in Christ alone (John 3:15-16;Romans 4:5; Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16; I John 5:1, 13).
In the background of this willful sin of apostasy (10:26),
is the “presumptuous” sin in which no sacrifice was provided for (Numbers
15:29-31). So when a believer apostatizes, there is no place to turn to, to secure
sacrificial protection against God’s temporal wrath and retribution. To turn
one’s back on the only sacrifice that God accepts, is to fall under God’s
temporal judgment. An apostate changes sides so to speak, and puts himself on
the side of God’s enemies (James 4:4), and can therefore experience God’s fiery
wrath (cf. Hebrews 6:4-8).
When Hebrews 10:27 says, “but a certain fearful
expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the
adversaries,” it means that whereas no sacrifice for sins remains, there
does remain a certain fearful expectation of judgment from God. Since fear is
punishment (cf. I John 4:18), the fearful expectation is itself a part of God’s
judgment on the Christian who departs from the Christian faith.
A more severe punishment is also in the mind of the author
of Hebrews. “Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the
testimony of two or three witnesses.” (Hebrews 10:28). A quick, sure death
accompanied a severe infraction of the Old Covenant (e.g. blasphemy, Lev.
24:11-16; murder, Lev. 24:17; Numbers 35:30; false prophecy, Deut. 18:20;
etc.). But especially in mind here is idolatry and the rejection of the
decision of a priest or judge (cf. Deut. 17:2-13), since Hebrews 10:28 alludes
to Deuteronomy 17:6.
Please keep in mind that Solomon died while steeped in
idolatry (I Kings 11:1-43) and yet he was a believer in the coming Messiah. God
declared that Solomon would be His son and He, God, will be Solomon’s Father (I
Chronicles 28:6). Hence, Solomon is a believer in the coming Messiah because he
is a child of God (cf. John 1:12). Also, God used Solomon to author three books
of the Bible: Proverbs (Solomon was the principal author), Song of Solomon, and
Ecclesiastes. The Bible says that the human authors of the Bible were “holy
men of God” who “spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2
Peter 1:21). Even though Solomon was an idolater, the Bible says he was a “holy”
man of God. How can this be? He is “holy” in God’s eyes because he has
been set apart from his sin and shame by virtue of his faith in the coming
Messiah who would die for all of his sins – including the sin of idolatry (cf.
Isaiah 53; Colossians 2:13-14).
But a worse punishment awaits a New Covenant believer who apostatizes. By using the form of a question, the writer raises the level of fear with the uncertainty involved in Hebrews 10:29: “Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” This more severe punishment is not spelled out. But it is conceivable that there are worse punishments than a sure, quick death in the Old Testament.
For example, King Saul suffered a worse punishment
than death as he went though prolonged manic-depression and paranoia. He also
was consumed by fear and hatred (I Samuel 13:8-28:25), yet he was genuinely saved
since Samuel said he would be with him after death in Paradise (I Samuel 28:19;
cf. Luke 16:22; 23:43). That Saul was a genuine believer is also substantiated
by the following:
We must first understand that “by the deeds
of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the
knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:20). Under the law of the Old
Testament, good works have nothing to do with salvation from hell. Salvation is
always (in Old and New Testaments) based on the sufficient sacrifice of
Christ’s death on the Cross and is by grace through faith alone in Christ alone
(cf. Gen. 3:15; 4:3-5; 15:6; John 3:14-18; Rom. 3:21-5:1; Gal. 2:16; Ephes.
2:8-9; Heb. 9:11-10:18; 11:4).
After
the prophet Samuel anointed Saul to be king over Israel, he informs Saul about
various signs that will take place after he leaves Samuel’s presence (I Sam.
10:1-4). Samuel tells Saul that when he comes to the hill of God where the
Philistine garrison is, he “will meet a procession of prophets coming down
from the high place with lyres, timbrels, pipes and harps being played before
them, and they will be prophesying. The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully
upon you, and you will prophesy with them; andyou will be changed into a different person.” (I Sam.
10:5b-6).
The
events that Samuel predicted came to pass as he said (I Sam. 10:9-11). A
summary statement of these events is given in verse 9: “As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all
these signs were fulfilled that day.” (I Sam. 10:9). Verses
6 and 9 clearly refer to Saul’s conversion because how else can a person be “changed into a different person” and God
change their hearts?
It
is also significant that during this encounter a group of prophets were
prophesying (I Sam. 10:5, 10). It is likely that they were prophesying about
the coming Messiah of Israel. After all, the apostle Peter said, “To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever
believes in Him will receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:43). When
Saul joined in with the prophesying of the prophets, he did so as a result of
believing what they were saying about the coming Messiah. The Holy Spirit’s
saving work in Saul’s life is manifested by Saul joining their prophetic
testimony. Even if Saul had not prophesied, he would still be a new man with a
new heart because salvation is
always based upon faith alone in Jesus the Messiah.
This
Messianic hope was also understood by Moses as revealed by the writer of
Hebrews “By faith
Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s
daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to
enjoy the passing pleasure of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ [literally,
“the Christ” or the Messiah] greater
riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked to the reward” (Heb.
11:24-26). So Moses believed in Jesus as the Christ, the
Messiah, but he also pursued Christ for eternal rewards just as Saul should
have pursued them. But Saul did not pursue Christ as he should have, and
therefore, he would forfeit eternal rewards that could have been his.
Consider King David. He should have been killed for his
sins of adultery and murder (cf. Deut. 22:22; Exodus 21:12-14), but instead he
went through the prolonged agony of God’s discipline for almost a year (Psalm
32:3-5; 51:8). That included physical weakening and inward grief. His vitality
was dried up and he was weighed down with guilt.
This more severe judgment may also have come upon the Corinthian
believers who were “weak” and “sick” and eventually died because of
their mistreatment of one another at the Lord’s Supper (I Cor. 11:29-32; cf.
10:1-13). The wrath of God is not limited to unbelievers, as believers can also
experience God’s present-day wrath in which He gives the disobedient
believer over to the consequences of his sin resulting in self-destruction (Romans
1:18-32; 5:9-10; 13:4-5). Believers can be saved from God’s present-day wrath
through the life of Christ living through them (Romans 6-8). One might also
think of prolonged illness, insanity, loss of loved ones or other things in
regard to a more severe punishment than physical death.
The reasons for such a punishment are found in Hebrews 10:29: “Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” He has “trampled the Son of God underfoot.” His apostasy is an unruly trampling on the dignity and claims of Christ (cf. Heb. 6:6). He regards the sanctifying blood of the New Covenant, which “sanctified” him, as impure or unholy. Notice the apostate has been “sanctified,” which in the author’s mind is the same as justification – it is a completed action (cf. Hebrews 2:11; 10:10, 14).
The phrase “by which he was sanctified” (en hō hēgiasthē) contains a masculine or less likely neuter relative pronoun (hō) which cannot refer back to the word “covenant” (diathēkēs) because that word is feminine and a relative pronoun must agree with its antecedent in gender and number (see Dana and Mantey, A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament, 1955, pp. 125-126; and see Goetchius, The Language of the New Testament, 1965, p. 336, #308). Neither can this pronoun refer back to the “Son of God” because the logical sequence of words clearly refers the subject back to the one who has “counted the blood of the covenant a common thing.” Also in the book of Hebrews Christ is the Sanctifier, not the Sanctified (Heb. 2:11; 10, 14). So the most likely antecedent is the “blood” (haima), since it agrees with the pronoun in number (singular) and gender (neuter). The “by” (en) indicates that it is by means of the blood that the apostate is sanctified. Hence, it is the apostate who is sanctified by the blood of Christ. The apostate also outraged or “insulted the Spirit of grace” by rejecting Christ’s sacrifice for all his sins.
In Hebrews 10:30, the author
quotes from Deuteronomy 32:35-36. “For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is
Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.And again, ‘The Lord will judge His
people.’ ” Deuteronomy 32:35-43 refers to God’s severe chastisement of “His
people,” not His “professing” or “ungenuine” people, and to
their restoration. The author’s selection of Deuteronomy 32 is most
appropriate. The description of His wrath against His unfaithful people sounds
much worse than execution by stoning (Deut. 32:19-27; cf. Lamentations 4:6, 9).
Deuteronomy 32:38-33 describes Israel’s lack of wisdom and the bitter effects
of their idolatrous practices. Notice Deut. 32:31, “For their rock [pagan
gods] is not like our Rock [Israel’s God], even our enemies
themselves being judges.” Israel acknowledges the difference between their
idolatrous gods and the true God they had turned from. Deuteronomy 32:34-39
then speaks of God’s judgment upon His people, after which He will restore
them. Verse 40-43 in Deuteronomy 32 speak of God’s judgment upon His enemies. After
judging His people (Deut. 32:35-36a), He will have compassion on them and ask
them about the pagan gods they had turned to (Deut. 32:36b-37). This assumes
that they survive the judgment.
Therefore, in Hebrews 10:30, the writer of Hebrews is referring to God’s temporal judgment on those who abandon their Christian confession of Him (i.e. apostate Christians). He then concludes that it is terrible to come under God’s temporal judgment. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). If any of His Christian readers were tempted to abandon their Christian faith and some were, these words of temporal judgment would have been sobering. No doubt they would be more inhibited to think about doing such a heinous thing!
Conclusion: Rather than teach that a Christian who turns away from the sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ and goes back to his old religion loses his salvation or was never saved in the first place, Hebrews 10:26-31 affirms that a person who believes in Jesus Christ for everlasting life is secure forever, but it also warns of the dangers of departing from our Savior.
